Redemption No Borders: Niger

October 15, 2012 by jpark

Redemption No Borders: Niger

The country of Niger continues to be surrounded by the threat of insurgency to the west and terrorism to the south. The government is beefing up border patrols to keep an eye on terrorist groups spilling in from its north and south. Christian Aid Mission Africa Director Rae Burnett says, “First, Niger is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. If you look at the U.N. list, all 10 are from Africa. Second, the rebels are better resourced. Billions of dollars are being poured into the financing of these groups, so they have resources for guns, for whatever types of strategies they’re using to take over.”

Niger is also trying to cope with disaster. They’ve got massive flooding, drought, and food shortages all throughout the country. The government appealed to Nigeria to start joint military patrols along its border. So far, they’ve managed to avoid involvement in the Tuareg rebellion that split neighboring Mali, but Islamist fighters from Nigeria’s Boko Haram sect to the south are invading. The problem, though not recent, boils down to poverty. Burnett says the Islamists have slowly been infiltrating for years. “They can go into these poor areas and build schools, dig wells, and all kinds of things like that. Now, it’s a competition for the right to be heard. Compared to the apparent gifts in community development, poor missionaries don’t have anything. They’re barely able to feed their families.” Burnett says, “One of the effects on the missionaries is that they’re in much more danger, continuously in danger. There are people fleeing to their areas from Mali, where our missionaries are trying to help, and using that as an open door for the Gospel but not having the resources to really meet the needs that are being presented to them. Pray for them and send them as much help as we can to meet the needs that are in desperate situations with the purpose of taking the Gospel to them.”